Tea at Harrod's

Still trying to find some people to go on the trek with. In the meantime we walked down to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) and the Zoo! Saw a snow leopard, tigers, pheasants, red pandas, some fish, a black bear....and more. Interesting but pretty typical of a zoo.

Next we walked down to the bottom of the mountain to the Happy Valley Tea Plantation. Not till I got there and saw all the big signs for Harrod's did I realise that this tea plantation provides solely to Harrod's. Very interesting seeing the process. Got rained on so was a tad grumpy, especially since the 30 minute walk back was entirely uphill. Very steep. Very tired. Will definitely sleep well tonight after a nice homemade meal at the next door cafe-out-of-home (which we have named 'the Nook').

Not much else to report. Booked our flight from Bagdogra to Delhi for the 13th of May so we have a few days before my flight home on the 17th! Can't imagine leaving!

This is India?

Ronit's catch phrase which I quickly picked up was 'this is India!', or TII for short, to describe any situation which is unique to India. For example, only half of what is on the menu can be ordered at any given time..."this is India!"

Darjeeling is actually cold, and not just cold because I personally am always cold, but cold compared to everywhere else we have been to in India so far (1 degree celcius, 34 farenheit). We actually needed the hot water shower provided by our hotel (only available 6:30-7:30pm because of water shortages). So many times we have to remind ourselves that this IS still India! The strong Nepalese influence in the area is very evident from the dress, the people, the food and the general beauty of the place. I am definitely very much at home here. We realized we are staying, for some unknown reason, at the hotel the farthest the hill (there is literally nothing after us) so we are thinking of moving closer down to activity tomorrow. When the power in the town went off last night it was definitely creepy to walk up the hill with our measly small flash lights (mine which no longer works properly after visiting the cave....no that is not the fault of the gremlin, Raiza!)

We had breakfast at a tiny cafe which is right out of the living room of a family of artists. They make their own crafts and sell them from their living room. French toast on brown bread with fresh cream anyone? Amazing and so friendly. We were the only ones there but it felt really homey. Even if it is at the top of the hill we will definitely be going back.

Booking our trek today (4 days 3 nights) along with two other travelers we met, hopefully to start tomorrow when the rain stops.

We are going to spend the day planning and walking around a bit more, eating and drinking tea in a bar/bakery/cafe, The Gramery, with a 180 degree view of the clouds and mountains. Mmmm tea.....

Sab Kuch Milega

Sab Kuch Milega : Anything is possible (Bengali).

The title of this post is very true to India and especially to the last day and a half. After a nice dinner with about 10 other fellow tourists (one of which I found to have worked at Renaissance Re for the past year and a half in Bermuda), taking shelter from a sudden freak cyclone and rain shower, we headed out to the train station to take our overnight train to Darjeeling. Or so we thought. The train arrived on time (SHOCK!), we found our seats right away (so far so good), seats were clean....we settled in and by 11pm I was fast asleep....we should have known it was too good to be true. 10 minutes later we were awoken to yells and angry voices as we found out that the entire sleeper car was numbered incorrectly. So while our seats said they were seats 71 and 72 they were actually 61 and 62. After an enormous amount of confusion everyone was settled in their correct seats.

Our train was supposed to get in at 9:00am so when I awoke at 6:00am to a stopped train I was mildly confused. I stepped outside to take a look around and found out from a very kind English speaking man that ....yes the strike had happened and we would be stopped at this random station 'Harishchandrapur' 2 hours from NJP for.....TWELVE HOURS! With only a pancake, 1 1/2 bananas each, and some very dry cookies which by this time we were already sick to death of we would be stuck here. After many naps, card games, finishing my magazine and half of my book, dead ipod we finally left at 5:30....only to stop again for half an hour two stops later.

Generally in India so far we have found that the majority of the Indian people are curious but kind, they will stare but they are not rude. However you learn quickly that 75% of the people who talk to you simply want to convince you to buy their product, come to their restaurant, or simply steal from you. You learn quickly when to not make eye contact, when to simply say 'NAHI!' (no - spelling not sure), walk determinately away, and maybe add in a casual hand flick.

On this train, with no food, all stranded together we found the amazing generosity of the people. Two men made sure we had plenty of water, giving us some of their personal stash of packaged cakes, helped us figure out a new plan to get to Darjeeling (we would have to overnight before our 3hr jeep ride to Darjeeling), and gave us their personal cell numbers and email in case we needed help. A family with three little boys and a girl shared with us all the food that they had to eat. It was definitely the best outcome possible when stuck in that type of situation. We were extremely grateful.

The jeep ride to Darjeeling was amazing. Spectacular! Imagine, if you will, a jeep (with 10 people crammed in) on Bermuda roads, with cliffs on either side, winding corners worse than Harbour Road, going at about 50 km per hour! Best moment was stopping along the way at a rest stop where we had our first real meal since before our trip to the 'train-with-no-end-in-sight' where we had some fresh Veg Momo's (steamed dumplings) with chili sauce. Paul, I took a picture so don't worry you can feel fully jealous when I upload ;).

We missed the girls by 3 hours to go on the trek so resting here for a few days trying to find some more people to go with, figure out details etc. and and see the city.

Entire trip here was definitely proof that anything is possible, and when rushed for time, it will.

Flowers, flowers everywhere!

Not much to write in this one as it has only been a day. Last night after some much needed internet time we met up with some fellow travelers we met through volunteering at Mother Theresa's for a chat and some coffee and to watch the Cricket finals. Cricket news flash: the supposed 'better team' of Mumbai was beat by Chennai! Hungry, I tried to order a pancake and some chai tea but as is usual in India at 8 o'clock they stopped serving most stuff. Also common here, only half of what is on the menu is actually available.

Nice sleep in this morning until about 9:15 and then met up with some friends at 'Raj's Spanish Cafe' for breakfast: a chocolate pancake (which is more like a crepe) a cappuccino (first coffee since Bermuda...definitely gave me a caffeine buzz) and some fruit muesli with curd.

After checking out of our hotels we went for a trip down to the Flower Market by the Howrah Bridge. Thousands of flowers under shelter. Could have taken a million photos. Every time we took a photo some of the merchants there would be a crowd of people and we would have to show the person the photo. They really seem to enjoy getting their photo taken, some were even posing for us!

The bus ride back to our area was a long and difficult ride simply for the fact that I have never had to pee so badly. I know one of the three pieces of advice I was given at Good Friday lunch at Aunt Sony's was #2 USE THE BATHROOM BEFORE YOU LEAVE (#1 Don't tip, #3 don't drink the water...or was it don't eat street food?....there were so many). Well, I'm afraid that doesn't help if you drink two litres of water after that time. The starting and stopping of the bus, with them shutting off the motor when the traffic was really slow, was excruciating. I began looking out at the parks and contemplating whether I could run to a bush and make it back in time. My friends were all very understanding and made it their mission to help me find somewhere as soon as we got off. 5 mad tourists running through the streets in search of a restaurant, a hotel, a bush, ANYTHING must have looked strange.

After great relief we had lunch at Blue Sky Cafe (a delicious vegetable curry with paneer and some butter naan). Going to meet up with the other tourists for dinner before our train at 10:55 to Darjeeling.

Imagination, life is your creation!

We were placed at Mother Theresa's Missionary Charity Hospice called Prem Dam (not sure of spelling) for our two days of volunteering. The mornings were spent washing clothes in an assembly line dunking the clothes, ringing, dunking in the next station, ringing them out, then carrying the buckets full of clothes and bed sheets to the roofs to dry. We made beds, brushed hair, painted nails, and listened to them when they wanted something (not that we could understand). We helped serve lunch, feeding those who could not feed themselves, helped them to bed and then washed all the dishes. All the sister's and other staff would point at us and shout "Auntie! Auntie!" whenever they wanted us to do something. Most of the time we would be pointed in the general direction of something and were expected to understand what we were supposed to do. The language barrier was definitely a problem, even among volunteers as some were from Korea, Japan, China, and France (got to practice my high school french out woohoo). Despite that, however, it was a really rewarding experience and I would definitely come for longer next time. Both times leaving the house we grabbed rickshaws (somehow ending up with the same driver both times) stuffing about six of us into the small compartments and getting thrown from side to side as the driver swerved in tune with Barbie Girl by Aqualung (hence the title of this blog) with us girls singing on top of our lungs along the way. Needless to say we got a lot of stares.

Our first afternoon off we spent being tourists of Kolkata. We saw the Indian Museum (lots of fossils, rocks and animals), the Institute of Fine Arts (my favourite piece one of an Indian woman Andy Warhol style), the Victoria Memorial, and the Planetarium (no I didn't fall asleep I was just "resting my eyes" - that is a tribute to Grandma Devi for those who do not know as I definitely fell asleep...it had been a long day, ok).

Last night after a long day of volunteering we met up with Tim and Eli (friends of Ronit) and had dinner as they watched the third final cricket game (go Bangalore) and then went to sit on the roof of their hotel while they passed around a guitar playing any songs they new. One of the tourists staying there was a German couple with whom we all talked about music and other general topics. Ouvre (not sure of spelling) was so enthusiastic about music we asked if he played anything. His answer was perfect, "I not very good at playing instrument, but I am a professional listener. The world needs listeners too".

Note to all readers, be aware when entering your hotel room that on the wall you will not find just one light switch. No, you will find about 20 unmarked identical switches and will proceed to press each one eveyr time until you get a hang of which turns on the lights and the fan. You will then find that indian men will appear at your door offering their services, asking to do your laundry or whether you have eaten. No, you do not smell, and they are not worried about your health. Do not get irritated. You have simply been pressing the buzzer for help over and over and over.

Off to Darjeeling tomorrow to start our 7 day trek during which we are to see Everest and K2.

This is gift from India!

The rest of our time in Varanasi was beautiful and surreal. Walking along the Ganges river seeing the many women and men washing, bathing, praying, the goats and cows roaming the streets, all the while knowing that my grandparents ashes were scattered here. I am sure you all mostly know that I am not religious or particularly spiritual but being there was more than a little moving.

We went to the Burning Ghat and saw a few processions of bodies, heavily decorated with gold and colourful drapings, being carried down to the fires. Even though I felt like I was burning myself in the heat it was kind of beautiful and touching rather than scary or disturbing as one may think.

In the morning we woke at 5:00am to take an early boat ride across the ghats to Assi Ghat and watched the sun rise over the water. Once at Assi ghat (after much bargaining of the price of the trip) we met Ronit's friend Tessa for morning yoga. Definitely an all-white (or European...sorry mummy but everyone here who is not Indian is referred to as 'white' lol) crowd but still amazing.

The yoga instructor asked at the start whether either of us had any "problems with body". Ronit explained that she had been coughing a lot and he chuckled and responded "yes, many Europeans get this when come to India. This is gift from India!!"

Our train to Calcutta (old name)/ Kolkata (new name) was delayed by 2 hours so after much confusion and irritation we were on our overnight train. Top sleeper bunks and a pretty quiet ride. Got to see a lot of the rural India as we passed, lots of farm land, grass huts, and small (5-10 houses) towns. Beautiful lands!

Now in Kolkata, having sweated a few extra pounds off (don't worry mummy drinking lots of water...I may actually drink more than you do a day now xo), we have visited the Mother Theresa's Missionary house where we will be volunteering for the next two mornings at one of their hospices. Should be a very interesting experience. We have met up with Ronit's friend Tim and Eli and will be watching the final (or third place...we arent sure which) cricket match at a 'pub' later tonight.

Kolkata for the next 3 nights and then off on Monday night to Darjeeling for our 7 day trek!

Glamour and Grit

For the rest of our time in Agra we spent upstairs in Yash Cafe overlooking the streets eating some great indian food, and taking some long naps. Wandered the streets for a bit to kill time before our 11:30pm train only to find that tourists are not really welcome in the back streets. We had kids yelling "HI!!! HI!!!", men telling us we were going the wrong way and "beware! dog rabbid!!" What with that and the consistent pointing and laughing at us by all the girls we passed we decided maybe we should stick to the tourist area.

Took my first sleeper class train last night. It was hot and sweaty until the air cooled but we met some very interesting Indian men who, when I pulled out my glamour to pass the time, lept with attention and asked to look at it. What an image of these men reading my Glamour magazine!

Had an embarassing blonde moment when I went to the bathroom on the train and locked myself inside. Panicked and started banging on the door for someone to let me out. I am sorry I did not know that the outside latch was connected to the inside latch! Doigt what a tourist I make!

In Varanasi we are staying at the Alka Hotel which is a very popular backpacker spot (we have already seen two couples which we had seen in Agra here). Went to the German Bakery for lunch and had some pizza (yeah yeah in India I should be eating Indian...but its a nice change of pace and it supports an NGO, helps the children and their workers, and the mothers, has tons of classes and brings in Organic foods from the Nepalese area). Great food, great atmosphere, great place. We got to lounge on the mats while we ate and relaxed inside away from the heat.

Quick stop here in Varanasi overnight and then it is off to Kolkata tomorrow!

Quick note as I am running out of time at this Internet Cafe...if we weren't already a focal staring point for all Indians I, it turns out, am even more so as everyone asks me "are you indian?" Funny that I have always thought of myself as half indian but here in India I considered my self white, yet the locals always see Indian. After my toilet incident I am sure they were quick to change their minds though. I have given up saying I am from Bermuda and have just started saying America so I can avoid having to explain over and over where and what Bermuda is.

Ok time is up!!

Agra and the Taj Majal

Feeling much better here today. Yesterday we took a train from Delhi to Agra which holds the Taj Mahal! Got in about 10:00pm and thankfully were able to get a room in a very comfortable hotel.

We decided to get an early start to the day at 5:00am so we could beat the lines at the Taj Mahal and see some of the sunrise. Had a quick shower at which point the power went out. Showering in a dark, windowless bathroom...FUN! So we showered, dressed and packed in the dark with our little LED lights to guide us.

The Taj Mahal was amazing and beautiful. Lots of not-unique photos of course but who cares ...I was still there! Made me think of grandma Devi and Grandpa Mohan and the picture I have of them at the Taj Mahal on my bulletin board in my room.

Exhausted, Ronit and I decided to take a quick nap on a bench so when we woke up we woke to the sight of the Taj Mahal.

First meal in India was on top of a rooftop cafe...Dal Masala and some buttered chappati...YUM. Thank goodness I was able to eat finally! We are taking it easy today until our 11:30pm overnight train out of Agra to Varanasi where we are meeting up with Ronit's friend Tessa.

Feeling Hot Hot Hot

In preparation for my trip over here I checked the flight path to see if my flight would be going near the ash cloud. Well, they lied to me! Not till I got on the plane and checked on my 'flight path' screen did I find out that we would be flying directly across Europe instead of over Africa as the website said....hmmm.

After some major musical chairs with the other people on the plane to accomodate the many babies who were booked to sit by themselves we were all off for the 14 hour flight (which ended up actually being 15). Met a guy from Boston and a mother and her kid who decided to cry the entire way.

Here at last we spent a great night in the lovely air conditioned Hotel Ajanta. Woke up at 4:40 and was unable to go back to sleep until about 9:00am. As we got ready for the day we saw a semi-parade from our balcony go by complete with man throwing rice, trumpets, and women in colourful sari's. Went to Karen's roof top restaurant for breakfast....I ordered jam toast but was unfortunately unable to eat it. Not so good at keeping things down this morning...lets just leave it at that.

Off on the 5:30pm train to Agra tonight to see the Taj Mahal tomorrow morning.

Definitely feeling the heat, the pollution, the smell and the jetlag. I am sure I will adjust soon....I hope I adjust soon, at least.

The Toothless Traveller

Well, not toothless but with one less, I WILL be heading out tomorrow....as long as my flight isn't cancelled due to the volcano ash. Sometimes I wonder what the deal with my luck is!

Getting ready

So first time blogging. Here we go.

I leave tomorrow on the 3:45 pm flight out of Bda to Newark, with a three hour lay over until my flight to Delhi at 8:25 pm. Of course, that is assuming that I actually get out. As luck should have it I woke up this morning unable to open my mouth (no comments please) with a throbbing pain coming from my wisdom tooth which is now fully emerged. Ironic since my aunt Sony had sent me a .pdf with trip advice which included 'going to a dentist for a check up before your trip'. Of course I laughed and thought "Im fiiiiine!" Note to self: mothers and aunts are always right. Emergency dentist visit anyone?

So, my painful tooth coupled with the ash cloud from the volcano has given my mother reason to believe that there are one too many signs of why I should not go.

Damn lost my train of thought. Happens too often. I should lay off the coffee.

Ok so first post over. Wish me luck.